Why You Need To Have Regular Reviews With Your Customers
By Dave Sobel, Director of Partner Community for MAXfocus at LogicNow
The business review is one of the most important tools in the successful managed services provider’s (MSP’s) toolkit, but deciding on the frequency of those reviews is a very individual things says Dave Sobel, director of partner community for MAXfocus at LogicNow
There are certain elements of being an MSP that are fundamental. First, the idea that delivering proactive IT services on a contractual basis is better for both customers and providers. Second, that technology tools like a remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform are required in order to be able to deliver those services. And third, that proactive management requires scheduled interaction with the customer, to do proactive business planning beyond the basics of delivering technology services.
To that end, the “Quarterly Business Review” (or QBR) is often cited as the best way to deliver that business planning service. Alternatively called the Customer Business Review (a name I actually much prefer), the basic concept is straightforward. Using the information provided by the MSP's toolkit, most importantly the RMM tool, the MSP will review the technology needs of the customer, comparing the current state of affairs to the customer's desired business need.
The format is simple; the MSP reviews the customer's goals against their current state, and then presents the outcomes to the client alongside what they plan to accomplish next. Discussion ensues, ensuring that the plan is in alignment, taking into account any changes in the customer's strategy.
There are some pitfalls, however.
Often, MSPs focus too much on the schedule — quarterly being the usual focus. The reality is that some customers simply don't need a review every three months, while others require reviews of their plans on a monthly basis, even if simply to make minor course corrections. The MSP needs to find the regularity that works for the individual customer and their needs, and then ensure that they follow a regular and predictable rhythm. One of the key indicators of maturity — and thus profitability — in a managed services provider is the clockwork nature of delivering these reviews.
Additionally, you need to ensure you focus on the ‘business’ part of a business review. Often times, MSPs will diligently focus on the reporting that their RMM tools provide, bringing stacks of charts, graphs, and inventory documents to demonstrate their value. While it is important to show the value of a proactive service with tangible evidence, what is more important is taking that data and making it relevant to the customer. This requires a translation and analysis process; taking the raw data and comparing it against the customer's needs to accomplish their business goals. Implied in that statement is that the MSP actually understands the customer's business goals. While simplistic, the only way to truly ensure that this is the case, is to ask.
These scheduled interactions are one of the ways to open up the communication lines to understand those business goals. In fact, one of the best practices we focused on in our Perpetually Valuable MSP research was the ability for a service provider to have those non-technical meetings. The best-in-class MSPs understand this, and ensure their conversations with their customers don't focus solely on technical configurations. Instead they also look at the business goals of their customers, and how their recommendations help deliver those outcomes.
A key differentiator of the managed services approach over a more transactional break-fix model is the promise of better business outcomes. In order to accomplish that, the service provider must remain engaged in the right business discussions, and proactively scheduling those meetings is one of the basics, just like performing blocking and tackling drills in football. Practice makes perfect, and the best way is to just get started.
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